A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation.
How to Find Peace in the Silence.
No Lulus, Alo Tops or Incense from Aesop Required.
Illustration By: @michellekuku
Why Meditation Can Feel Messy… At First
Let’s be honest: meditation sounds wonderful in theory. You imagine yourself sitting peacefully, eyes closed, finally switching off your busy brain. And then it happens — your thoughts get louder, not quieter. Suddenly you’re calculating how many loads of laundry you can squeeze in before dinner, stressing about tomorrow’s meeting, or realising you still haven’t replied to that message (f***kkkk).
But here’s the thing: that wandering mind is not failure. It’s not about perfection. It’s about learning how to sit with the discomfort and trust yourself to get through it. It’s practice, it’s patience, it’s presence, and it ripples beauty into your everyday life.
In the West, meditation has been sold like a lifestyle brand; leggings from Lululemon, incense from Aesop, and a perfect half-smile in morning light. But that was never the point. Meditation is an ancient practice from the Indian subcontinent that has lasted thousands of years for one reason: it works.
It delivers peace, acceptance, and compassion.
What Meditation Really Is
Meditation has been made to look like some mysterious art form, reserved for people who can sit cross-legged in silence for hours. In reality, it is far simpler and much more human.
At its heart, meditation is about training your attention. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, describes it as “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgement.”
That last part is key: without judgement. Meditation is not about emptying your mind or reaching a magical state of bliss. It is about changing your relationship with your thoughts and feelings.
When your mind wanders, and it will, the practice is to notice it and then return to your anchor.
Anchors: Something to Rest Your Attention On
An anchor is simply something steady to return to when your mind drifts.
It could be:
Your breath: the rise and fall of your chest, or the air moving in and out of your nose.
A phrase such as “May I be at ease,” “I am safe,” or “May I meet this moment with kindness.”
A sound: music, a chime, or the hum of your environment.
A body sensation: the feeling of your feet pressing into the floor or your hands resting in your lap.
The anchor itself is not the goal. What matters is the practice of noticing when your mind has drifted and returning to it. That return is the heart of meditation.
Illustration: @jessiewsart
Why Therapists Keep Recommending It
Meditation isn’t just a nice idea — it has a real impact on your body and mind.
When you sit and practise, your body receives the message that it is safe. Your breath slows, your heart rate steadies, and your nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight and into balance. Suddenly, you feel a little less like you are trapped in a rollercoaster of thoughts and more like you are standing on solid ground.
Modern neuroscience and polyvagal theory help explain this. When your nervous system senses safety, it opens the door to clarity, connection, and regulation. That is why meditation can leave you feeling calmer and more present, even if your practice felt messy in the moment.
This is also why therapists keep recommending it — because it gives your nervous system a chance to reset, making it easier to cope with stress, anxiety, and the constant demands of daily life.
Different Ways to Practise
There are many forms of meditation, and these are just a few you might want to explore:
Breath awareness – focusing on your inhale and exhale to regulate your nervous system and stay present.
Loving-kindness – repeating phrases such as “May I be at ease” or “May others feel safe,” nurturing compassion and softening self-criticism.
Body scan – slowly moving your attention through the body to release tension and support rest.
Visualisation – imagining a calming place or a safe light around you, which can be grounding during stressful moments.
The style matters less than the awareness you bring to it.
How to Start: A 5-Step Practice
Set aside five minutes and try this today:
Find a comfortable spot — on a chair, cushion, or even your bed.
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Focus on your breath at the nose, chest, or belly.
When your mind wanders, notice it. You might even name it softly: thinking, planning, worrying.
Return to your breath. Again and again.
That is meditation. No perfection, no performance required.
In the beginning, five minutes may feel long. Your mind will wander dozens of times, and that is completely normal. Each time you notice and return, you are building the muscle of awareness. With practice, you may extend to ten or fifteen minutes, but even five is enough to begin reshaping how your mind relates to stress.
Over time, you may start to notice subtle shifts in how you move through life: pausing before reacting in a heated conversation, finding more patience with your children or partner, or speaking to yourself with more compassion instead of criticism.
Meditation creates space — space between thoughts and reactions, space to breathe before speaking, space to meet yourself and others with more presence.
Meditation Apps Worth Exploring
Insight Timer – a great free option. Thousands of guided meditations, courses, and talks from teachers worldwide, with optional paid upgrades.
Balance – highly personalised. The app asks you questions daily and builds a program tailored to your mood, energy, and focus. They often offer a free first year.
Headspace – beginner-friendly with short, animated explainers. Great for learning the basics and building a consistent habit.
Calm – 7-day free trial, although a very limited free tier. Excellent for stress and sleep, with Sleep Stories narrated by celebrities (falling asleep to Harry Styles is definitely a recipe for good dreams).
Open – 7-day free trial. My all-time favourite. I use it daily because it blends meditation, breathwork, and movement in a way that feels modern, human, and doable.
Quote: https://o-p-e-n.com
A Personal Note: Why I Use Open Daily
Over the last ten years of my meditation journey, I have tried just about every meditation app out there. Think of me as your guinea pig. And after all that experimenting, the one I come back to every single day is Open.
It feels fresh and alive. You can actually hear the teachers breathe with you, which guides the rhythm of your own breath. The music is stunning — especially if, like me, you love music and it turns practice into something you actually look forward to.
Sessions come in all lengths, making it easy to fit into real life. The movement element is great if you enjoy yoga, and they even include pre- and post-run stretches that I use regularly. And one more touch I love: when you open the app, and again when you finish, you are greeted with a simple daily quote. It is wholesome, grounding, and often exactly the reminder you did not know you needed.
I am not sponsored — I am simply sharing what genuinely works for me as a busy working mum. Open makes meditation feel less like a chore and more like a daily reset I look forward to.
Final Thoughts
Meditation has lasted thousands of years because it speaks to something universal: the need for steadiness in the middle of life’s noise.
Start with one breath today — it might just change the way you live tomorrow.
With heart,
Anika x
